L-DOPA

Another names: l-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine and levodopa.
Precursor of dopamine, noradrenaline and adrenaline.
Has a counterpart with opposite chirality that is d-DOPA.
Produced from the amino acid l-tyrosine by the enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase.
Can be directly metabolized by catechol-O-methyl transferase to 3-O-methyldopa, and then further to vanillactic acid.